Prevalence of headaches in a Chinese elderly population in Kinmen: age and gender effect and cross-cultural comparisons

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of headaches in a Chinese elderly population.

BACKGROUND

There are few headache surveys in the elderly. Previous studies have shown a low headache prevalence in Chinese.

METHODS

TARGET POPULATION

eligible registered residents > or = 65 years old (N = 2,003) in two townships of Kinmen Island on August 1, 1993. All participants completed a headache questionnaire and underwent clinical evaluation and examination by a neurologist. Headache diagnoses were made according to the International Headache Society, 1988.

RESULTS

1,533 persons (77%) participated in the study, of whom 584 (38%) had at least one episode of headache in the previous year. One-year prevalence of migraine was 3.0%, and tension-type headache, 35%. The prevalence of migraine, but not tension-type headaches, continued to decline with age in the elderly. Life-time prevalence of "incapacitating headache" was 10%, and that of migraine, 5.2%. Forty-two percent of migraineurs stopped having migraine before this survey. In comparison with "10 years ago" 8% participants felt their current headaches were worse, 25% better, and 67%, no change, with a net improvement of 17%.

CONCLUSIONS

We have reported the highest headache prevalence among different Chinese elderly populations, but these were still lower than those reported from Western series. More than half of the elderly life-time migraineurs still had attacks of migraine. Severe headaches, including migraine but not tension-type headaches, declined with age.

Treatment of a large segmental bone defect with allograft and autogenous bone marrow graft

Management of segmental bone defects is a challenge to orthopedic surgeons. We report a 23-year-old man who sustained segmental bone loss of 9 cm in length in his left femur due to an open fracture. Open reduction and internal fixation with a 95 degrees angle blade plate and screws, supplemented with a composite of two femoral head allografts and a graft of 100 mL of autogenous bone marrow, was performed 3 weeks after the injury, when the soft tissues had healed. The postoperative rehabilitation program included delayed weight bearing (crutches for 3 months), a limited early range of motion of the left knee, and quadriceps muscle exercise. Callus bridging was noted on x-ray films 3 months postoperatively. Clinical and radiographic union were noted 6 months after the surgery. We suggest that this new and simple method can be applied to successfully treat segmental bone loss of more than 6 cm in length.

Depressive disorders among older residents in a Chinese rural community

BACKGROUND

Two recent surveys of depression among Chinese elderly people sampled different populations, used different case ascertainment methods and resulted in a seven-fold difference in prevalence rates. The present study was conducted to compare prevalence rates obtained with two commonly used methods in the same population, and to examine the risk factors for depression.

METHODS

The target population included all residents aged 65 years and over in a rural Chinese community. Participants were interviewed for demographic and medical information, examined by a neurologist and administered Chinese versions of the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS-S), the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) and an Activities of Daily Living (ADL) form. Individuals who screened positive on the GDS-S were also interviewed by a psychiatrist for diagnosis according to the DSM-III-R criteria.

RESULTS

Among the 1313 participants, 26% screened positive on the GDS-S and 13% were diagnosed as having a depressive disorder, including 6.1% with major depression. Individuals with depressive disorders were more likely to have poor ADL scores, lower CASI scores, and chronic physical illnesses. They were also more likely to be female, older, illiterate and without a spouse, but adding these variables did not increase the overall association with the GDS-S score.

CONCLUSIONS

Depression was quite common in this Chinese rural geriatric population. The prevalence rate was twice as high when judged by depression symptomatology rather than clinical diagnosis. The critical risk factors were functional impairments, poor cognitive abilities and the presence of chronic physical illnesses.

Technetium-99m-HMPAO brain SPECT in systemic lupus erythematosus with CNS involvement

Functional brain SPECT is playing an increasingly important role in evaluating CNS conditions in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, SPECT findings varied in different studies because of their small population. Furthermore, earlier researchers, being restricted by the resolution of the camera, might not have been able to evaluate deep-seated nuclei such as the basal ganglia and thalamus. In this study, we describe the different patterns of SPECT findings in SLE patients with CNS involvement.

METHODS

Seventy-two SLE patients (aged 14-67 yr; mean 33.2 yr) were divided into three groups: Group 1 with definite neuro-psychiatric disorder (including stroke, seizures and psychosis); Group 2 with minor neuropsychiatric disorders (headache, dizziness and recent memory impairment); and Group 3 without any neuropsychiatric symptoms or signs. Ninety minutes after injection of 1110 MBq 99mTc-HMPAO, brain SPECT was performed using a dual-head camera and fan-beam collimator. In addition, MRI and an electroencephalography (EEG) were also performed.

RESULTS

SPECT findings were normal in 87% of the Group 3 patients and abnormal in all Group 1 patients; 84.6% of the Group 2 patients had abnormal SPECT findings. The parietal, frontal and temporal lobes were the most common areas of CNS involvement. Parietal lobes were involved in 95.6% of Group 1 patients and 80.7% in Group 2 patients. Frontal lobes were involved in 56.5% of Group 1 patients and 65.3% of Group 2 patients. Temporal lobes were involved in 56.5% of Group 1 patients and 46.1% of Group 2 patients. The basal ganglion was involved in about 30% of Group 1 patients and 11.5% of Group 2 patients, while the thalamus and cerebellum were less involved in neuropsychiatric SLE. MR images showed less sensitivity in the detection of CNS involvement than the SPECT and were normal in 27.3% of patients with definite neuropsychiatric disorders. The EEG and anticardiolipin antibody did not correlate well to the clinical diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

HMPAO brain SPECT had the best correlation with the clinical diagnosis and may provide additional and objective information on SLE patients with potential CNS involvement.

Rhenium-188 hydroxyethylidene diphosphonate: a new generator-produced radiotherapeutic drug of potential value for the treatment of bone metastases

The search for an ideal radioisotope for systemic radiotherapy continues. As a generator-produced radioisotope emitting both beta and gamma rays and having a short physical half-life of 16.9 h, rhenium-188 is a very good potential candidate for systemic radiotherapy. In this study, we labeled hydroxyethylidene diphosphonate (HEDP) with 188Re and analyzed the biodistribution and bone uptake following intravenous injection in rats to assess its potential for clinical use. The rats were injected with approximately 14.8 MBq (0.4 mCi) 188Re-HEDP in a volume of 0.1 ml intravenously and then sacrificed at 1 h, 24 h, or 48 h (four rats at each time). Samples (about 0.1 g) of lung, liver, kidney, spleen, testis, muscle, stool, and bone (thoracic vertebra) were taken and weighed carefully. In addition, a 1-ml sample of blood was drawn from the heart and 1 ml of urine was taken from the urinary bladder immediately after killing. Tissue concentrations were calculated and expressed as percent injected dose per gram or per milliliter (% ID/g or ml). Bone lesions were created in the right tibial bone in three rabbits to calculate the lesion to normal uptake ratio (L/N ratio). The biodistribution data showed that the radioactivity in the bone tissue was as high as 1.877% ID/g at 1 h and that it climbed to 2.017% ID/g at 4 h. The activity level in the kidney was highest at 1 h but declined rapidly throughout the study. The radioactivities in the lung, liver, muscle, spleen, testis, blood, and stool were all lower than 0.3% ID/g at 1 h and also declined rapidly. The biological half-life in bone was the longest (60.86 h). In contrast, the biological half-lives in muscle and blood were short (2.99 h and 6.21 h respectively). The concentrations of radioactivity in muscle, spleen, testis, and stool were quite low throughout the study. Most of the radiotracer was excreted by the urinary system. The L/N ratio was 4.23+/-0.21 in rabbits injected with 188Re-HEDP and 4.25+/-0.23 in those injected with technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate. In conclusion, we would suggest that 188Re-HEDP is a very good potential candidate for the treatment of bone metastases because of the following characteristics: (1) it is generator produced; (2) it has a short half-life; (3) it emits gamma rays suitable for imaging; (4) there is highly selective uptake in the skeletal system and bone lesions; and (5) it has a low non-target uptake and rapid clearance in nonosseous tissue.

Droperidol treatment of status migrainosus and refractory migraine

We conducted a pilot study of intravenous droperidol in 35 patients (32 women and 3 men; mean age 43 years) with status migrainosus (n = 25) or refractory migraine (n = 10) in an ambulatory infusion center. Headache was graded as severe in 21 patients and moderate in 14. An intravenous line was started and kept open. Droperidol (2.5 mg) was given intravenously every 30 minutes until either three doses were given or the patient was completely or almost headache-free prior to the next dose. Seven patients received one dose, 12 received two doses, and 16, three doses (mean 5.6 mg). Our success rate (headache-free or mild headache) was 88% (22 of 25) in patients with status migrainosus and 100% (10 of 10) in patients with refractory migraine. The average time to headache improvement was 40 minutes (n = 35), to mild headache--60 minutes (n = 32), and to headache-free--105 minutes (n = 28). Nausea, vomiting, and light and sound sensitivity resolved in all but 5 patients. Four patients had an asymptomatic systolic blood pressure drop > or = 20 mm Hg. Most patients were sedated (34 of 35). Five patients developed akathisia and 1 dystonia. At follow-up 24 hours after discharge, the recurrence rate (headache intensity from none or mild to moderate or severe) was 23% in status migrainosus and 10% in refractory migraine. Twenty-one patients were sedated, while 19 had extrapyramidal symptoms, mainly restlessness. Droperidol is effective and safe in treating status migrainosus or refractory migraine. Hypotension was uncommon. Patients should be warned of sedation and akathisia.

Large sample tests for binary outcomes in fixed-dose combination drug studies

Several test statistics are developed for testing the hypothesis that the combination of two drugs at a fixed-dose regimen is more effective than both of the single drugs used alone with respect to a dichotomous response variable. The response probability, logit, and arcsine-root scales are considered. The power function and the significance level are derived for large samples. For the sample size per group of 20 or greater, the power and type I error rate can be accurately calculated using the large sample power function when the response probability ranges from 0.2 to 0.8. These tests have similar power behaviors. In small samples, the large sample power functions of two of the tests can severely underestimate the type I error rate while overestimation can occur with one other test. The utilities of these tests are extended to unbalanced sample size cases. Generally speaking, there is a loss of power with unequal sample size allocation, but the loss is not severe.

Poststroke depression among the Chinese elderly in a rural community

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A door-to-door survey was conducted in two townships in the Kinmen islets to investigate the prevalence and other characteristics related to depressive disorders of stroke survivors in an elderly Chinese population.

METHODS

Our target population comprised the registered residents > or = 65 years old (n = 2056) of a total population of 26 105 on August 1, 1993. All participants answered a questionnaire, filled in a Geriatric Depression Scale-short form (GDS-S), and received a neurological examination. Depression was defined as a GDS-S score > or = 5.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight of 45 stroke survivors (62.2%) and 491 of 1471 nonstroke subjects (33.4%) were classified as depressed. The frequency of stroke survivors' depressive disorders was significantly higher that of nonstroke subjects (P < .001). Multiple regression analysis indicated that GDS-S scores were most related with the activities of daily living (R2 = .19, P = .004) in the stroke survivors.

CONCLUSIONS

Depressed mood was common after stroke, and activities of daily living were an important factor for depression in stroke survivors in the community.

Swallowing difficulty in Parkinson's disease

Dysphagia is a frequent and potentially serious complication of Parkinson's disease (PD). We examined the oropharyngeal swallowing ability in 19 PD patients (15 men and 4 women, mean age 68.42 years, mean Hoehn and Yahr stage 1.8) using modified barium swallow before and after administering oral levodopa (in combination with benserazide). Twelve (63.2%) patients demonstrated objective evidence of swallowing abnormalities; although only six patients (31.6%) had subjective complaints. Vallecula sinus and pyriform sinus residues were the most frequent abnormalities (47.4% and 42.1%); followed by delayed swallowing reflex (26.3%). Three patients demonstrated silent aspiration. In the 12 patients with abnormal swallowing, six (50%) showed objective improvement after levodopa treatment, while the remaining six showed no change. Of the former group of six, one patient showed improvement in the oral phase, but deterioration in the pharyngeal phase. We concluded that PD patients had a high percentage of objective swallowing abnormalities which could be reduced in half of the patients through the administration of levodopa treatment.

Role of radioisotope penile plethysmography in the evaluation of penile hemodynamics in impotent patients

Nineteen impotent patients were included in the study. Radioisotope penile plethysmography using technetium-99m-labelled RBC was performed on each patient before and after intracavernosal injection of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) for quantitating the penile hemodynamic change. The peak penile blood flow (PPF) and penile blood volume change (dPV) were evaluated. The results revealed that (a) the PPF values (mean 2.24 +/- 1.38 ml/min) of all patients were lower than that of the patients with no arterial changes previously reported, and (b) there was good correlation between PPF and dPV (r = 0.75). We conclude that quantitative radioisotope penile plethysmography coupled with intracavernosal injection of PGE1 is a valuable method for the objective evaluation of the penile erectile response of impotent patients, and that the PPF values of the impotent patients with arterial insufficiency might be a reliable parameter of penile volume change.

Correlation between patterns of antral contractility and gastric emptying of radiopaque markers

OBJECTIVES

Gastric clearance of radiopaque markers (ROMs) has been proposed as an easy and noninvasive technique for assessment of gastric emptying. This study was conducted to evaluate the role of antral obliterating contractions in gastric emptying of ROMs in healthy volunteers.

METHODS

Fifteen healthy volunteers, 12 males and three females, aged 21-38 yr, were enrolled in this study. Simultaneous recording of scintigraphic solid phase gastric emptying, gastric clearance of ROMs, and gastric manometry were performed after an overnight fast. The data of scintigraphic solid phase gastric emptying were expressed by half-emptying time (t1/2). The ROMs remaining in the stomach were counted fluoroscopically 2.5 and 4.5 h after the test meal. The time for the appearance of antral obliterating contractions after the meal was calculated.

RESULTS

Six subjects (40%) passed all 10 ROMs after 4.5 h of recording. Among these six subjects, five had antral obliterating contractions 190-251 min (mean 232.2 +/- 24.3 min) after the test meal. There was no significant difference in t1/2 between subjects with or without antral obliterating contractions within the 4.5 h of recording.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a considerable intersubject variation in the time of first antral obliterating contraction after the test meal. In the healthy volunteers, all ROMs were passed when there was a postprandial antral obliterating contraction. However, some of the ROMs still passed from the stomach in the absence of antral obliterating contractions.

Comparison of risk factors for lacunar infarcts and other stroke subtypes

BACKGROUND

Lacunar infarction (LI) is an ischemic stroke subtype with unique clinical, radiological and pathological features. Its relation to other stroke subtypes is unclear. To better understand the underlying pathological process of LI, we compared the risk factors of LI with those of other stroke subtypes.

METHODS

During the study period (from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1991), 240 consecutive patients with first-ever strokes admitted to the stroke unit of our hospital were enrolled to the study and were classified into one of the four stroke subtypes (52 with LI, 80 atherothrombotic infarcts, 38 cardiogenic embolism and 70 brain hemorrhage) based on their computed tomography (CT) and clinical features using the guideline developed by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders. Eighty outpatients of similar age who had either low back pain or cervical spondylosis were recruited from the clinics of Neurology to serve as non-stroke controls. Data collected included demographics, lifestyle, and other vascular risk factors. Detailed physical and neurological examination, blood biochemistry and Doppler ultrasound on cervical vessels were performed.

RESULTS

Our investigations revealed that LI is a common stroke subtype accounting for 21% of all first-ever strokes in our hospital. Like ischemic stroke patients, those with LI were much more likely to have hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and carotid disease when compared with non-stroke controls. Patients with brain hemorrhage had less history of diabetes and lower levels of cholesterol than LI patients.

CONCLUSIONS

LI patients seemed to share more risk factors with ischemic stroke patients than with brain hemorrhage patients. These shared risk factors suggest a possibly similar underlying pathological process between ischemic strokes and LI patients. Careful screening for those risk factors should be part of the mandatory clinical management for the prevention of LI.

Inhibition of synaptic transmission and epileptiform activity in central neurones by fluspirilene

1. Recent studies have shown that fluspirilene, a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist which is a long-acting neuroleptic useful in the maintenance therapy of schizophrenic patients, also displays Ca2+ channel blocking activity. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of fluspirilene on synaptic transmission and epileptiform activity induced in slices of hippocampus and amygdala. 2. Fluspirilene reversibly suppressed the field excitatory postsynaptic potential (f-e.p.s.p) in a concentration-dependent manner in the area CA1 of the hippocampus without affecting the size and shape of fibre volley. Fluspirilene also inhibited the intracellularly recorded e.p.s.p. in amygdala neurones without affecting the resting membrane potential or neuronal input resistance. 3. Fluspirilene increased the ratio of paired-pulse facilitation suggesting a presynaptic mode of action. 4. Epileptiform activity induced in the disinhibited slices was suppessed by fluspirilene in a concentration-dependent manner. This antiepileptic effect was occluded in slices pretreated with the adenosine A1 receptor agonist, N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA). 5. It is concluded that fluspirilene-induced synaptic inhibition is probably due to a reduction in presynaptic Ca2+ currents. In clinical trials, the low incidence of seizures provoked by fluspirilene might be related to its intrinsic ability to inhibit synaptic transmission and epileptiform activity.

Detection of acute inhalation injury in fire victims by means of technetium-99m DTPA radioaerosol inhalation lung scintigraphy

Mortality and morbidity in fire victims are largely a function of injury due to heat and smoke. While the degree and area of burn together constitute a reliable numerical measure of cutaneous injury due to heat, as yet no satisfactory measure of inhalation injury has been developed. In this study, we employed technetium-99m diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (DTPA) radioaerosol lung scintigraphy (inhalation scan) to evaluate acute inhalation injury in fire victims. Ten normal controls and 17 survivors from a fire accident were enrolled in the study. All patients suffered from respiratory symptoms (dyspnoea and/or cough with sputum). 99mTc-DTPA aerosol inhalation lung scintigraphy was performed in all subjects, using a commercial lung aerosol delivery unit. The degree of lung damage was presented as the clearance rate (k; %/min) calculated from the time-activity curve over the right lungs. In addition, the distribution pattern of the radioactivity in the lungs was evaluated and classified into two groups: homogeneous distribution and inhomogeneous distribution. A plain chest radiograph (CxR) and pulmonary function test (PFT) were performed in the same group of patients. The results showed that 6/17 (35.3%) patients had inhomogeneous distribution of radioactivity in their inhalation scans, and 11/17 (64.7%) had homogeneous scans. Five of the six patients with inhomogeneous scans were admitted for further management, and all patients with homogeneous scans were discharged from the emergency department and needed no further intensive care. The clearance rates of the right lung were 0.73%+/-0.13%/min for normal controls and 1.54%+/-0.58%/min for fire victims. The difference was significant, with a P value of less than 0.01. Using a cut-off value of 0.9%/min (all normal subjects were below 0. 9%/min), 14 (82.4%) patients had abnormal clearance rates of 99mTc-DTPA from the lung. In contrast, only three (17.6%) patients had abnormal CxR and three (17.6%) had abnormal PFTs. We conclude that (1) conventional CxR and PFT are not good modalities for evaluating inhalation injury in fire victims because of their low sensitivity, and (2) 99mTc-DTPA radioaerosol inhalation scintigraphy can provide an objective evaluation of inhalation injury during a fire accident and may be useful in therapeutic decision-making and disease monitoring.

Comparison technetium of Tc-99m disofenin cholescintigraphy with ultrasonography in the differentiation of biliary atresia from other forms of neonatal jaundice

Technetium Tc-99m disofenin cholescintigraphy (CS) and ultrasonography (US) are two major clinical methods used in differentiating biliary atresia (BA) from neonatal jaundice. To compare the diagnostic utility of these two modalities, 66 patients with neonatal cholestasis (15 BA, 3 choledochal cyst (CC), 32 neonatal hepatitis, 13 prolonged jaundice, 2 total parenteral nutrition, and 1 sepsis) underwent Tc-99m disofenin CS and US. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CS in differentiating BA from other forms of neonatal jaundice was 100%, 87.5%, and 90.5%, respectively, and for US 86.7%, 77.1%, and 79.4%, respectively. Tc-99m disofenin CS after premedication with phenobarbital and cholestyramine is a convenient and reliable method of differentiating BA from neonatal hepatitis, with a diagnostic accuracy superior to that of US. However, US is the initial imaging procedure of choice in patients presenting with jaundice to rule out anatomic anomalies such as CC.

The Kinmen Neurological Disorders Survey (KINDS): a study of a Chinese population

We conducted an epidemiological study of several neurological disorders among the Chinese aged 50 years or older on the islet of Kinmen. All participants were interviewed and examined by neurologists. From the targeted population of 5,061 individuals, 3,915 (77.4%) of them completed the evaluations. Among the 4,087 individuals with whom face-to-face contact was made, the refusal rate was 4.2%. The disorders of interest were dementia, Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, stroke, transient ischemic attacks, and migraine. Among the 3,915 participants, 366 cases were found with 1 or more of the surveyed neurological disorders on the prevalence day, August 1, 1993, yielding a prevalence of 93.5/1,000. The purpose of this study, the general methodology, and some overall findings are presented in this communication in order to provide a common background for detailed findings on each disorder to be reported separately.

99Tcm-HMPAO-labelled white blood cell scans to detect acute appendicitis in older patients with an atypical clinical presentation

Forty-nine patients (age > 50 years) with an acute abdomen and suspected appendicitis, but with atypical findings, were included in the study. After the intravenous injection of 99Tcm-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (99Tcm-HMPAO) labelled white blood cells (WBCs), serial anterior images of the abdomen and pelvis were obtained after 30, 60, 120 and 240 min. Any abnormal localization of WBC accumulation in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen equal to or greater than bone marrow activity was considered positive. Twenty-five patients had positive WBC scans, all of whom underwent laparotomy. Twenty-three of these patients were shown to have appendicitis; the other 2 did not. The other 24 patients had a negative WBC scan, 2 of whom underwent laparotomy and were shown to have appendicitis; the other 22 patients did not undergo surgery and showed no evidence of appendicitis during follow-up. The overall sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values of WBC scans for diagnosing appendicitis were as follows: 92.0%, 91.7%, 91.8%, 92.0% and 91.7% respectively. In conclusion, 99Tcm-HMPAO-labelled WBC scans provide a rapid and highly accurate method for diagnosing appendicitis in older patients with equivocal clinical findings.

99Tcm-phenylene imine phenol as a potential leukocyte labelling agent

The aim of this study was to evaluate 99Tcm-labelled phenylene imine phenol (99Tcm-Ph(IP)2) as a leukocyte label. The 99Tcm complex exhibits a neutral lipophilic character. The radiochemical purity of the 99Tcm-Ph(IP)2 was high both soon after labelling (94.5 +/- 1.2%, n = 7) and at 24 h (89.7 +/- 1.0%, n = 7). In a comparative study, the labelling efficiency of 99Tcm-Ph(IP)2 and 99Tcm-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (99Tcm-HMPAO) labelled leukocytes was 47.1 +/- 3.5% (n = 7) and 58.5 +/- 7.0% (n = 7) respectively. The viability of labelled leukocytes was greater than 90% for both 99Tcm complexes. The elution ratios of labelled leukocytes with 99Tcm-Ph(IP)2 at 1, 4 and 24 h were 10.1 +/- 3.5%, 17.2 +/- 2.7% and 23.0 +/- 2.4% (n = 7) respectively, while those with 99Tcm-HMPAO were 10.8 +/- 1.2%, 18.3 +/- 2.0% and 37.0 +/- 3.7% (n = 7) respectively. In conclusion, 99Tcm-Ph(IP)2, with good stability and significant leukocyte labelling efficiency, is a potential leukocyte label.

Expression of NGFI-B mRNA in a rat focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model

Cerebral ischemia is known to induce the expression of several immediate early genes (IEGs), including c-fos and c-jun, which subsequently regulate a number of late effector genes. In this study, we examined the expression of NGFI-B (or nur 77) mRNA in a rat focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model. NGFI-B is a member of the IEGs which encodes for a nuclear receptor and is rapidly induced by nerve growth factor (NGF). Northern blot analysis showed a rapid but transient enhancement of NGFI-B mRNA, a peak level for which was observed at 30 min of reperfusion following 60 min ischemic insult. At the peak level, quantitative analysis of the blot indicated a 12-fold and 4-fold increase of NGFI-B mRNA in the ischemic cortex and ipsilateral hippocampus, respectively, as compared to the sham-operated control. No apparent changes in mRNA levels were observed within contralateral sites of the cortex. Results from in situ hybridization showed that severe ischemia (60 min) resulted in a marked increase of NGFI-B mRNA throughout the entire ischemic cerebral cortex. The increase was particularly notable in the frontal, occipital, perirhinal and piriform cortical regions and in the dentate gyrus and CAI-3 regions of the ipsilateral hippocampus. A marked induction was also noted in the ipsilateral caudate putamen. Unlike the induction profile of NGFI-B mRNA, severe ischemia resulted in bilateral increases of its family gene, NGFI-A mRNA. The spatial induction profile is similar to that of NGFI-B mRNA in both hemispheres, except within the region of the contralateral dentate gyrus which showed low levels of NGFI-A mRNA. The expression pattern of NGF and BDNF mRNA, upstream genes of NGFI-B, were also examined. Interestingly the temporal and spatial expression patterns of BDNF mRNA were very similar to that of NGFI-A mRNA under the same conditions, whereas increased NGF and NGFI-B mRNA were observed only in the ipsilateral hemisphere. It is likely that multiple and/or overlapping pathways are activated subsequent to ischemic challenge which in turn are crucial for cel survival and/or functional recovery following focal cerebral ischemia.

In vitro and in vivo differentiation into B cells, T cells, and myeloid cells of primitive yolk sac hematopoietic precursor cells expanded > 100-fold by coculture with a clonal yolk sac endothelial cell line

The yolk sac, first site of hematopoiesis during mammalian development, contains not only hematopoietic stem cells but also the earliest precursors of endothelial cells. We have previously shown that a nonadherent yolk sac cell population (WGA+, density < 1.077, AA4.1+) can give rise to B cells, T cells and myeloid cells both in vitro and in vivo. We now report on the ability of a yolk sac-derived cloned endothelial cell line (C166) to provide a suitable microenvironment for expansion of these early precursor cells. Single day 10 embryonic mouse yolk sac hematopoietic stem cells wer expanded > 100 fold within 8 days by coculture with irradiated C166 cells. Colony-forming ability was retained for at least three passages in vitro, with retention of the ability to differentiate into T-cell, B-cell, and myeloid lineages. Stem cell properties were maintained by a significant fraction of nonadherent cells in the third passage, although these stem cells expressed a somewhat more mature cell surface phenotype than the initial yolk sac stem cells. When reintroduced into adult allogeneic immunocompromised (scid) hosts, they were able to give rise to all of the leukocyte lineages, including T cells, B cells, and myeloid cells. We conclude that yolk sac endothelial cells can support the stable proliferation of multipotential hematopoietic stem cells, thus generating adequate numbers of cells for study of the mechanisms involved in their subsequent development and differentiation, for in vivo hematopoietic restitution, and for potential use as a vehicle for gene transfer.

The influence of two bone agents (99Tcm-pyrophosphate and 99Tcm-methylenediphosphonate) on quantitative sacroiliac joint scintigraphy

Bone scintigraphy is an extremely sensitive method for the detection of focal bone disease. In many hospitals, quantitative sacroiliac joint scintigraphy is still a routine procedure in detecting sacroiliitis. In previous studies, both 99Tcm-methylenediphosphonate (99Tcm-MDP) and 99Tcm-pyrophosphate have been used for bone imaging. 99Tcm-pyrophosphate is eliminated more slowly than 99Tcm-MDP from the circulation and gives a higher background activity. We wished to discover the sacroiliac/sacral ratio (SI/S ratio) changes when using different bone agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in SI/S ratios between the two bone agents. Forty-six control subjects, aged 31-50 years, with no history of back pain, scoliosis, kyphosis, joint pain, arthritis, lesions within the pelvis, chemotherapy or systemic diseases such as diabetes or systemic lupus erythematosis, were included in the study. A posterior planar image of the pelvis was performed to calculate the SI/S ratio 3 h after the injection of 740 MBq 99Tcm-MDP or 99Tcm-pyrophosphate. Twenty-five subjects were studied with 99Tcm-MDP and 21 with 99Tcm-pyrophosphate. We found the SI/S ratios using 99Tcm-MDP to be slightly higher than those using 99Tcm-pyrophosphate, especially on the left side, but this difference was not statistically significant (P-values > 0.1 on both sides using Student's t-tests for unpaired data).

Inhibition of N-type calcium currents by lamotrigine in rat amygdalar neurones

Lamotrigine (LAG) is a new anticonvulsant drug for the treatment of partial and secondarily generalized seizures. The present study was aimed at elucidating the possible involvement of Ca2+ channels in the action of LAG using whole-cell patch clamp recordings in acutely dissociated amygdalar neurones. Whole-cell Ca2+ currents (ICa) were elicited by 200 ms step commands from -70 mV to -10 mV. Application of LAG reduced the ICa by an average of 40.3 +/- 3.2%. The inhibition of ICa by LAG was markedly reduced or eliminated in the presence of the N-type Ca2+ channel blocker omega-conotoxin-GVIA (1 microM). These results suggest that LAG may exert its anticonvulsant effect through inhibition of presynaptic N-type Ca2+ channels, thereby reducing glutamate release.